Bernie Sanders on Defeating ISIS
Since Senator Bernie Sanders is still in the running to become the Democratic nominee for president, I took a look at his views on the Islamic State and found quite a bit in his 'socialism' speech, "Democratic Socialism in the United States" (November 19, 2015), which I found on the Sanders website:
[T]he United States must pursue policies to destroy the brutal and barbaric ISIS regime, and to create conditions that prevent fanatical extremist ideologies from flourishing . . . . We must create an organization like NATO to confront the security threats of the 21st century – an organization that emphasizes cooperation and collaboration to defeat the rise of violent extremism and importantly to address the root causes underlying these brutal acts. We must work with our NATO partners, and expand our coalition to include Russia and members of the Arab League . . . . [T]he fight against ISIS is a struggle for the soul of Islam, and countering violent extremism and destroying ISIS must be done primarily by Muslim nations – with the strong support of their global partners . . . . A new and strong coalition of Western powers, Muslim nations, and countries like Russia must come together in a strongly coordinated way to combat ISIS, to seal the borders that fighters are currently flowing across, to share counter-terrorism intelligence, to turn off the spigot of terrorist financing, and to end support for exporting radical ideologies . . . . Wealthy and powerful Muslim nations in the region can no longer sit on the sidelines and expect the United States to do their work for them. As we develop a strongly coordinated effort, we need a commitment from these countries that the fight against ISIS takes precedence over the religious and ideological differences that hamper the kind of cooperation that we desperately need . . . . [O]ur priority must be to defeat ISIS. Nations all over the world . . . must make the destruction of ISIS the highest priority. Nations in the region must commit – that instead of turning a blind eye — they will commit their resources to preventing the free flow of terrorist finances and fighters to Syria and Iraq. We need a commitment that they will counter the violent rhetoric that fuels terrorism – rhetoric that often occurs within their very borders . . . . While individual nations indeed have historic[al] disputes – the U.S. and Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia – the time is now to put aside those differences to work towards a common purpose of destroying ISIS . . . [W]e must work with our partners in Europe, the Gulf states, Africa, and Southeast Asia – all along the way asking the hard questions whether their actions are serving our unified purpose . . . . ISIS must be destroyed . . . . A new and effective coalition must be formed with the Muslim nations leading the effort on the ground, while the United States and other major forces provide the support they need.Like everyone, Sanders wants to "address the root causes underlying these brutal acts" committed by ISIS, and he seems to understand that these causes are ideological, not economic, for he says that Muslim nations must help to "counter the violent rhetoric that fuels terrorism – rhetoric that often occurs within their very borders." He has no chance of winning the nomination, let alone becoming president, but if he's indicative of which way the Left is turning - toward more responsible views on Islamism - then we may be making some progress in this fight.
But what would Sanders do if Muslim nations don't cooperate because our "Islamism" sounds too much like their "Islam"?
posted by Horace Jeffery Hodges @ 9:38 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
In a similar vein, have you seen Slavoj Zizek's realist take on the European migrant crisis? It's quite impressive, although I must admit that my attention performed hara-kiri (as it always does) upon reaching the word "Lacanian".
Unfortunately our Labour Party's Dear Leader is more in line with vile bilge like this and has consequently been floundering all week.
Thanks for those links. The only good thing about the SWP article was its brevity, but that's the one blessing of a group that refuses to think - namely, it won't have much to say.
By contrast, Zizek seems to be thinking quite a lot!
Jeffery Hodges
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If the Bush/Cheney administration architects of the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq thought there was a direct connection between Islam and terrorism, they never stated so publicly, perhaps to avoid offending the country that birthed fourteen of the 9/11 hijackers. Noam Chomsky called out the Saudis as funders and proponents of Islamic extremism way before #feelthebern became a hashtag.
Sonagi
Who said it - Obama or Bush?
Sonagi
I'll take Paul Berman over Chomsky any day.
Disagree with Berman, and you can have a conversation; disagree with Chomsky, and you can only have an argument and get called names.
Jeffery Hodges
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"While individual nations indeed have historic[al] disputes – the U.S. and Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia – the time is now to put aside those differences to work towards a common purpose of destroying ISIS . . . [W]e must work with our partners in Europe, the Gulf states, Africa, and Southeast Asia – all along the way asking the hard questions whether their actions are serving our unified purpose . . . . "
I have no confidence any true cooperation is going to occur until a major leader, or leaders, from the "terrorist cell" countries steps up and leads the effort. I do not believe any of those countries will fully accept, or trust, anyone from the US, Russia, or Western Europe as the "commander-in-chief" in the fight against Islamism.
On the other hand, how do you defeat/eliminate and ideology?
Jay
The disillusioned can be of help.
Meanwhile, you just have to maintain the struggle.
Jeffery Hodges
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